Join Over 600,000 Marketing Professionals

12 Annoying Things About Your Website That Drive People Away

How many times have you visited a website and ended up sorely disappointed? Or worse, annoyed as all get out? For me, the answer is an easy one: a lot!

So, I put together a list of the 12 things that annoy me the most about websites. Maybe youíll agree; maybe you wonít.

Letís seeÖ

12. Music

Music blares the minute I visit your site. That is unexpected, disruptive, and downright rude, from a customer experience standpoint. And, in case you weren't sure, it ticks me (and most people) off more than just about anything. Wake up and smell the coffee! That is so 2001. Frankly, it wasn't cool even back then---but today, music on your website can mean the kiss of death.

11. Flash

Your "awesome" Flash website takes forever to load and then blasts me with all these neat-o visuals that require me to twiddle my†thumbs and waste precious time. I need information, not entertainment. Get over yourselves. Quit listening to your creative team (and if they're recommending Flash, hire a new team), and maximize the three seconds of attention I'm willing to give you by telling me something I want or need to know.

10. Pop-ups

Pop-up ads (and thatís what they are) make me want to kill you. Yeah, I know they're effective at boosting click-through rates. I still hate 'em. Stop it. Using pop-up ads tells me you don't care about my experience---you just want to sell me crap. Itís like going on a first date, and having the date say, ďLetís fool around" before dinner hits the table. Itís too much. Too soon. I donít care what the experts say. Pop-up ads make me want to leave.

9. Walking Ads

[Cue scream here.] Speaking of pop-ups, walking ads stink even more. They are annoying, disruptive, and inconsiderate. I came to your site for information. You only have one chance to make a good first impression, and walking ads are not the way to do it. I don't care who sold you on it. It's a bad idea.

8. Contact Info

Sure, I have a lot of patience and free time. I really WANT to have to dig through your bleepin' site to find your contact information. That makes my life super-easy. Go ahead, hide it! Or better yet, don't put contact info on there at all. That's one way to ensure we don't ever work together.

7. Mystery

Websites that don't tell me what you do, why I need what you do, and what it's gonna cost me are downright ineffective.†I don't want to dig for pricing. I want the information, and I want it now. Being coy might work when you're dating, but when it comes to business, I'm like Sergeant Friday on Dragnet. Just the facts, ma'am.†You've got about three seconds of my time and attention---use it wisely. And copy that's "mysterious" is not.

6. Down the Rabbit Hole

Contact pages that make us feel like Alice in Wonderland? Not prudent. And when your contact form leads us to default email programs that we canít stand, they cause us to immediately leave your site. For instance, I don't use Mail; I don't want to use Mail. And when your contact form automatically loads Mail for me, it makes curse words flow out of my mouth that are very unladylike. WHAT are you thinking? Stop it. Please.

5. Black Backgrounds

Black backgrounds and white or grey type are nearly IMPOSSIBLE to read. With very few exceptions (there are some sites done very well by people who know what they're doing, but they are rare), cut it out. Black backgrounds stink. And if your Web-design team thinks those backgrounds are cool, do your homework. Ask people who†know about converting the leads that come to your website to sales about the performance of sites with dark backgrounds. After all, isn't that what you're really interested in---leads that you can convert to sales?

4. Miniscule Text

Fonts that are too small can be remedied by a surfer; Iíll give you that. But it annoys me when I have to manually bump up the type. And Iím thinking that if you really think about what you want from a site visitor in terms of actions, itís not making them do something to learn more. Tell your Web developers with young eyes that it's often old folks like me who are making the buying decisions. The "default" font most Web developers use is almost ALWAYS too small. Bump it up a notch. Or three. You'll be amazed at how much happier your Web surfers will be. Know who your customers and prospects are; serve them information that is easy for them to consume---without the need for modifications.

3. An Undesired Delivery

I consume a lot of content. And when I find yours---and I like it---I want to read more. And I want it delivered to my email inbox, not my Reader, which I use for different things. When your blog doesn't take that into consideration, I know you're not paying attention. And I know you donít care about me as a consumer, youíre only thinking about how you like information delivered. Newsflash: Itís not about you. A vast majority of content consumers are just like me. They want content delivered to their email inbox rather than subscribing via an RSS feed. When you overlook that and when you don't offer me an option that suits my consumption preferences, it tells me you're not paying attention.

2. Searching for Search

What are you doing to make it easy for people to search your site? You'd be amazed how many sites don't have an easy-to-find search function---or that don't have a search function at all. That's just plain dumb. Make sure your website has an easy-to-locate, easy-to-use search button.

1. Anti-Social

Where are the buttons displaying where to find you on the Web? I keep running across websites that have social sharing buttons on them, but when you click on the buttons, instead of taking you to say, for instance, someone's Facebook page, it allows me to share your page of content on Facebook. Seriously? As if I want to share your "About" page on Facebook? No, dummy. What I'm looking for is your brand presence on Facebook (or Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.)---maybe because I want to "like" you there and pay attention to what you're doing. Not having social sharing buttons shows me that you're not participating in the social media space (whether that's really the case). And it also shows me that you have no idea that I'm judging you---and your level of savviness about the digital space and the importance of social networks---based on their absence. Is that what you want? Really?

The Bottom Line

Don't be egocentric when it comes to Web design. Know who your audience is and what people come to your site looking for. Or what you want them to come to your site looking for. Let your Web analytics play a huge rule in this process. Focus on creating a user experience that respects usersí needs and makes it easy for them to find the information they seek. Make sure your site has a navigation system that makes sense. And when youíre developing it, step outside the group of people working on the nav design and ask for feedback from others. Test your theories before implementing them. Youíll be surprised how often youíve made assumptions that arenít quite right. Sometimes, weíre so close to our own businesses and our own designs that we canít be objective.

Great design is cool. And cool is nice. But that isnít enough when it comes to effective online marketing. A beautifully designed website that has a crappy user experience serves up zero results. Great design paired with navigation thatís well-thought out and content that does the job itís supposed to do? Those make a website work. Creating an effective Web experience that actually turns site visitors into leads and allows you the opportunity to convert those leads into sales---thatís what effective online marketing is all about.

And if you really want to strengthen your Web presence, consider attending the MarketingProfs University course Websites That Work (now on demand), an 11-class course that will help you plan, redesign, measure, optimize and track all your landing page and website activities. Iím slightly biased because I taught one of the classes, but I can promise you that I also sat through all the other sessions. And learned a lot. You will, too. So,†register now.

Oh, and thanks to the Punks for their feedback. Itís always nice to know the very things that drive me crazy drive other people I respect and admire crazy, too. Now, what have I missed?

Membership is required to access the full version of this how-to marketing article ... don't worry though, it's FREE!

WANT TO READ MORE?
SIGN UP TODAY ... IT'S FREE!

Work email:

We will never sell or rent your email address to anyone. We value your
privacy. (We hate spam as much as you do.) See our privacy policy.

Sign in with one of your preferred accounts below:

Loading...

Shelly Kramer is the founder and CEO of V3 Integrated Marketing. She's a strategist, brand storyteller, digital marketing pro, content marketing expert, speaker, and corporate trainer. You can find her on Twitter at @ShellyKramer.

I 100% agree with all of these points. The only thing I'd like to add is that a good FAQ or knowledge base section is a MUST. Keep track of the questions people email and call you about and add them to your website. If I wanted to call you, I would have. I want to get the information online because it allows me to digest it in my own way at my own pace. I don't want to have to wait for a return email and I'm honestly just not a phone person. (That's right! I'M the person you can hide your contact info from -- if your website's good enough, I probably don't want it, anyway!)

by Jeff Fri May 4, 2012via blog

You wrote: "A vast majority of content consumers are just like me. They want content delivered to their email inbox rather than subscribing via an RSS feed."

Are you just ranting or do you have research to back you up? I am not being snarky, I really am curious if that is true, especially since I personally am the opposite - I much prefer RSS. Don't misunderstand, whether true or not your overall point is still valid. Though I would say a bit of patience and understanding is in order for smaller sites and blogs since RSS is usually configured by default in programs like Wordpress but setting up a newsletter requires a bit of extra effort (and, possibly, money). It might not be much effort but for those who blog for passion rather than for money this might be more effort than they consider worthwhile.

Years ago, as purchasing agent for a large commercial electrical contractor, I used to avoid all suppliers who started press 1 - 100. However, now they all use this damnable system instead of employing humans. The same problem exists with inscrutable websites that waste invaluable time and alienate customers.

Just give me the facts! Also bring back the old AT&T, not the new communication companies that don't communicate with their own departments.

I couldn't have put this article better myself. So many times clients worry about the look from their perspective rather than the visitors. And creative teams can get very possessive about the look and feel, often indulging themselves.

I thoroughly enjoyed this article Shelly! I agree with you on these, but maybe we should add old 1991 style sites to the list. Believe it or not I occasionally come across an outdated site looking like it was a Geocities build. Overly "optimized" photos that look really grainy are also on my list.

My most recent annoyance: When you land on a site, you've not been there for a second and you get a pop-up asking you to fill in a survey about the site, which you have to close in order to even see the content. It is a new disturbing trend. It is almost as annoying when you are shopping online and you are looking at a few products, about to add it to your basket and you get a pop-up "AVAILABLE TO CHAT NOW". This is the virtual version of when you are quietly browsing through a neat store only to be interrupted every time you stop to look at something with a sales person shouting "Can I help you and tell you about this or anything in the whole store???!!!!" At least this latter form is just a misguided form of customer service rather than a self-serving survey developed by the web-marketing folks who couldn't really care less about customer service otherwise they wouldn't haunt me with a survey request before I can look at the page.

Some organizations think that an 'info@' is all it takes. Have you ever tried to get hold of a human being at a large corporation?The problem is that consumers become frustrated and take to social media instead. Once a small problem is tweeted or shared on Facebook, it gets blown out of proportion.

Yes websites are about marketing and sales but they are also about information, customer service and public relations. Now more than ever, organizations need to put a human face on their website (and other marketing materials).

I like most of what you are communicating here. If your companies web developer is your next door neighbors 13 year old prodigy, then you probably are doing all these things [wrong!].

I was a little unclear about the "mail" item in #6. I, as a pro web developer, want to make it very easy for a web surfer to email me for more info. Maybe you were typing about snail mail...

Having the subject line filled, and popping up an email client makes it easy for the client. Easy is good. Weird to think we now live in a world and culture where I have a ten second chance to gain a customer, and I have to baby "them".

I have seen some pretty compelling flash sites, but these are few. The main effect [of a web site] is to capture your customer, answer their questions before they ask, and make sure they know how to contact you for further info.

Good content but the voice is very patronizing and harsh. I'm not a dummy. I am a professional seeking advice. I don't appreciate being addressed as if I'm a moron. The same message could have been communicated in a professional tone and have been much more constructive. I read the whole article IN SPITE of the angry, insulting voice; certainly not because of it.

Oh, and those banners that darken the rest of the screen and get in the way of my reading of your "free" article until I interact with it. I came here to read your article, not get spammed. Give me a reason to come back with valuable content, not chase me away.

Miniscule is acceptable. "Although this newer spelling is criticized by many, it occurs with such frequency in edited writing that some consider it a variant spelling rather than a misspelling." (Dictionary.com)

I can probably find it, Jeff .. and that'll be fodder for another post. The thing is, email is the most popular channel that exists today. So, while savvy web users (like you) prefer RSS feeds, many, many people either don't know what they are, or would prefer content delivered via a channel they're comfortable with - which is email. And even though I am web savvy, I don't want my content in a reader, I want it delivered to my email box.

My greatest point here is that designing for others, not for yourself and your preferences, is what's really important. Give them options that include things they are perhaps more comfortable with (like email) rather than forcing them to either do something they're not familiar with/comfortable with and perhaps losing them.

A humorous and slightly irreverent look at websites, but very on-target about how viewers react to the irritating tactics found on some websites. Thanks for saying what so many of us have only thought.

I agree with you, Jim. However there is MUCH research that those popup forms are amazingly effective. I still LOATHE them ... but the reason they do it is because they are efective. Hate. Hate. Hate them. Times one million!!!

by InnkeeperVA Fri May 4, 2012via blog

The really scary part is that you just covered the majority of B&B websites I have seen, in a nutshell, in one article.

They refuse to change, little nephew Jimmy is the best in his class, everyone loves our website! (There is the misnomer, when people say that. How many don't tell you they love it because they won't stay with you and just go on to the next website? In fact they run away...) Absence of proof is not proof of absence.

Hi Rick. Clarification re #6 ... when your "email us" automatically opens an email program that the prospect may or may not use, it's super annoying! Don't assume everyone uses Thunderbird, or Mail or anything else -- that's what that point speaks to!

I apologize if you were offended Paula. It was intended to be funny - not patronizing or harsh -- which is very much my silly style in "real life." And hopefully in spite of being annoyed by my "voice," there was still some value delivered for you.

LOL!!! You make an important point, Gersil. Customers are what it's all about. And what we do to serve them, whether on the Web, on the phone, in person ... you name it, is what will make or break us as businesses. Large or small.

Just for clarification sake - it's not the website that opens Mail or Outlook or whatever. It's your computer. A simple mailto:shelly@yourdomain.com link doesn't have any more control over the software that handles the call than a hyperlink does over which browser opens the page.

"...For instance, I donít use Mail; I donít want to use Mail. And when your contact form automatically loads Mail for me, it makes curse words flow out of my mouth that are very unladylike. WHAT are you thinking? Stop it. Please." ... Pint-of-note; try emailing this article via the provided Email button-icon, & behold what pops-up!

by Jeremy Gaywood Fri May 4, 2012via blog

Totally agree. I would add:- that AJAX/DHTML effects are just as annoying as Flash when it gets in the way- I do a lot if browsing on a mobile device, I don't like it if your site makes this hard - mobile CSS is the best- subscription options are best: RSS or email. Adding RSS via email is easy with things like Feedburner

Shelly..awesome article. Probably allowed half your readers to vent a little and the other half to learn a bunch. Thanks for sharing. :)

by Jennifer Ritchie Fri May 4, 2012via blog

Great angry article! I have been struggling through an open university Dreamweaver web design course, which has been great up until we had to do Flash .... unanimously amongst my friends we have the same opinion as you .... just plain annoying and slow! At least I will know how to use it and how not to use it when I start designing!

I thought about the 'tone' of the voice too, but then I realized that the subject of the article talks about 'people', but the whole article is written following the likes and dislikes of a single person: the author.

Even though I agree with most of the points, others just have to do with someone's personal taste and therefore cannot be taken as something really necessary to fix in a website.

Thanks Jennifer. You've actually nailed it - even though you're still learning. Thinking about UX in terms of what YOU want, putting yourself in the searcher's place, is a great step. Websites should serve up answers to questions, solutions (maybe products, maybe not), resources ... and it's all about them, not about you (or your business). Once you start thinking about UX in that fashion, and the way that YOU use the web, it makes everything easier! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts - we love it!

This too me straight to gmail .. which is what I use. What happened for you Rykk?

PS Can I just say that I HATE CAPTCHAs??? There. I feel better :)

by Steve Branam Fri May 4, 2012via blog

Yeah! What she said! What moron thought slapping an advertisement in front of your face when you're trying to look at something was a good idea? Get outta my way! I'm going to come over to your house and jump in your face on the couch while you're watching TV and see how YOU like it! Oh, was that annoying? Here, I'll do it again!

Yes, Yes, Yes! WAY too many unpolished sites using these outdated tactics/tools. And I2nd all the additional suggestions.Thanks for stating what should be obvious, Shelly. (And I don't think you're snarky at all.)

by alanc230 Fri May 4, 2012via blog

Right on! My pet peeve is when a website's pop-up appears on every page. I don't stay long when I see that. And when a pop-up is combined with audio, it's even worse.

by Helen Wilkie Sat May 5, 2012via blog

Great article, Sally, but please follow your own advice re 4. I'm reading this on my iPad and the type is small enough to be challenging!

Thanks for the feedback, Dalila. I've learned that I can't please all the people all the time, so I try and do my best to be true to myself. I am silly and irreverent in real life and that is evident in my writing as well. And even though this is written in a fashion that speaks to my individual preferences, I can assure you that for people who pay attention to user experience when designing websites, these are very common complaints - not just limited to my personal likes and dislikes. Hopefully there was something of value for you here - and if not, we appreciate you stopping by anyway!

by Steve Tuffill Sat May 5, 2012via blog

Whereas I agree with a lot of this, some of it is basic stuff really, and the comments about the Social Media buttons are just ignoring a trend that is here to stay. Otherwise, yes, no music, yes, can't find the contact info, yes, small type sucks...

by jeff noel Sat May 5, 2012via blog

interesting... is that a typo? ...13th Annoying Thing About Your Website That Drive People Away(Drives?)Shelly, thanks for the reality check on your 12.

Great post. All the right points that should be required reading for anybody with a web presence!

For "walking ads," if you're talking about those ones that creep up on your screen, then I'm with you. Hate 'em. Agoda.com has those to tell you how many people are looking at the same hotel and when a room was just booked. WTF do I care about what other people are doing? I know this is the used-car salesman "limited time / limited quantity" trick that is de rigueur on Ebay etc now...but I hate it.

So I wrote to them...and they totally ignored me. I hate that even more. So between their annoying walking adds and crappy customer service, I do everything possible to avoid using them. Maybe I should forward them this article!!

Anyway, kudos!

by Sara Thurston Sun May 6, 2012via blog

Wonderful article - I'll be sharing it.You covered just about all of my pet peeves. There is another -- confusing edgy design with good design. As many people have already stated, we're here to find information or buy something -- don't make us work hard for it, because we're in a hurry. We do love it when we stumble upon a site that displays attractive design. But it still needs to be easy to navigate or we'll leave.

Whether we like it or hate it, certain conventions have developed over time. People are used to looking for a "home," "about," "contact," "search" and similar buttons. And they're probably looking at the top or left of the page, where most websites keep them.As with "fast, cheap and good," you can't have all three. So put the navigation buttons anywhere you want, or give them clever shapes. Or names. But please, don't do all three at the same time.

I work with a lot of independent artists and always have to remind them that a website or blog should be a little about them but most importantly, a LOT about their audiences / customers. Music is one of the things that ticks me off!

I dislike when a telephone number is difficult to find or is non-existent on a website. Sometimes you just want to call and speak with someone. Also, when calling, to be subjected to an auto-attendant that requires more than one, maybe two, short questions before being connected to an actually person.

I hate that, too, Mike. And like you, I might actually go to the trouble to write someone an email sharing my feedback. And be doubly aggravated if they didn't even acknowledge it. Thanks for making me laugh!!

I very much agree with you Sara, about putting things where people expect them to be - and also making them look like what they expect. I had a client once who "hid" all their social buttons by making them pink (to match their website) and they wondered why no one ever used them ... wellllll, mostly, they couldn't find them because they were kind of hidden.

I LOVE THIS POST! I was scared to read it a little bit as I was worried my own site wasn't up to snuff. But I am happy to see that I am not only following this advice, but also giving the same advice to my clients. Thanks!

Great post, Shelly! We always tell people, why on earth do you want to distract people when you're trying to get them to understand your main message? Give people a "quiet room" to absorb your content, instead of a "rock concert." And people who have these kind of distractions on their site wonder why customers aren't sticking around...it's too freakin' loud!

by Arrenda BR Mon May 7, 2012via blog

Excelent article. I agree with almost everything you said, and, perhaps most importantly, it promped me to add a FAQ section to my site.Thank you for this great list :)

Animated splash page, really? Think sound and flash are two of my biggest peeves; cannot hit mute or skip fast enough. I bloody HATE popups, almost always click away immediately - no email sub for you! Now bad design, too much reverse type or poor navigation - don't drive me from a site so much as frustrate me. See also, searching for real contact info or better ways to email. One of the strangest things to me are 'social' sites - blogs, forums, online mags - with zero social presence and no sharing options; doesn't drive me away so much as.. I just don't get it. FWIW.

by Gerben van Ouwendorp Thu May 10, 2012via blog

With all those blogposts about usability, user experience, people sometimes forget the basics. Good article.

One remark on the music part. You talk about music onsite and how it can be a kiss of death. But music onsite can also be a conversionbooster. It's just how you present it towards your customers. Unexpected tunes after loading a site...bad! While offering a webstream while shopping...can be good.

by Stuart Fri May 11, 2012via blog

Excellent post- and we are guilty of #2 - gotta work on getting a sitewide search up ASAP!

by Michelle Fri May 11, 2012via blog

I wholeheartedly agree with these BUT maybe the author should take some of her own advice....when I click on the Facebook icon it prompts me to share vs. taking me to her page on Facebook. ;)

We appreciate the feedback. And as soon as I saw your comment, immediately went to the site to test it. Not sure what you were clicking, but the "Connect With Us" buttons in the sidebar all go to our social media channels, as they should, and the sharing buttons at the top and at the bottom of all posts do just that - share. If you had a different experience than that, I'd love to know the specifics!

I agree Gerben ... music onsite can be fantastic. But when it's set to autoplay ... that's jarring and unsettling. At least it is to me. And that's what I was speaking to in the post above. But music well done, it's often a very good thing!

Excellent article except - you can choose which mail programme loads when someone asks for it with the mailto: tag. I *prefer* to use my own mail programme *because* I get an exact copy of what I sent off to the contact, along with an email contact address in case I need to follow up. Mail programmes add a date and a time of the contact so that I have some munitions in case I need them. Most contact forms go off into the wild never to return again. My two cents worth - soon to be a nickel since we don't make pennies in Canada anymore.

Hey Shelly - unfortunately the only social icons that I can find on the page are sharing icons - no social media profiles to be found. And, I looked pretty hard - I was hoping to learn more about you - that's why I clicked the FB icon to begin with. ;)

Good stuff thanks. Related to 'instant unexpected music assault' is video (with ear-shattering audio) that automatically fires up upon landing on the home page. Often of an unknown exec (vanity alert) or an earnest-sounding client waxing-poetic. B2B sites often guilty of this. Such videos can be very effective when located in the right section and left to the visitor's control to play as desired.

Another reason flash can be a bad choice: many visitors are on iPads (more each day), which just won't play it.

As for black backgrounds, small fonts and just design-over-function, go to just about any digital marketing agency to see the latest displays of all of these tactics. Designers are running amok at many of these shops in some bizarro 'keeping up with the rest of the Digerati' copycat style.

by Maria Marsala Sun May 13, 2012via blog

So why do people create Enter pages? I know not why, but I know that I hate them.

But I enjoyed this article and will share it!

Thank you

by Ray Isaacs Mon May 14, 2012via blog

Hey Shelly. Greetings from my Laptop desk in Hamilton, New Zealand. I was about to jump for joy at nearly escaping your outlined steps re: the above, but got knocked back re: my lack of email availability, site search and a little more. Lolz. However your points have be a blessing and I am delighted to walk away with only a few minor scratches. Overall, I'm very pleased with my website design efforts especially when I haven't had any formal website design training etc. I think if ever I was guilty it would be of; too much content and not enough silence or breathing space. Your best point for me as mentioned; would be re: email availability to forward to. I do have a cheats way to get around this ... I am a master at copy and paste to my personal email, blank page, then send to myself and file it away in my email Folders for quick reference! Otherwise I am a Bookmark Freak for further use. I am aware of plag ... plager ... cheating! Which I'm happy to say I totally don't do any of that.

by Michelle DeMarco Mon May 14, 2012via blog

This is certainly reader centric food for thought! As people become more and more inundated with these annoyances, they will tolerate them less. Where on your radar is mobile optimized? As someone who reads an awful lot of things on iPhone and iPad, it sure turns me off to find a site is completely mobile un-friendly?

Greetings to you as well! Sounds like you're doing a good job of being on top of things. I, too, am a master at cutting and pasting [great minds, and all that].Thanks for stopping by - it's always a pleasure hearing what you think!

I was striving for funny, not angry Jennifer ... but I suppose these things do vex me as well. Flash is fantastic - where it makes sense. The problem is that so many designers don't think using it through vis a vis what they're serving up from a UX standpoint. Hang in there!

No pennies? I suppose that's a smart move ... but don't you miss them? I have great luck with my contact forms, but I do see your point, Michael. I just hate it when Mail or some other program that's been selected by the website I've visited loads instead of letting me use my own email, which is always open. Good thoughts, though!

Flash can be awesome. It just depends where/how it's used. But when your site is slow to load - especially on mobile ... not good. And, like you, I'm very much a fan of sitewide search! So important! Thanks for your feedback - always appreciated!

I replied to this, Michelle, but it might be caught in approvals because I included links. If you are looking on the v3im.com site, all our social buttons are in the righthand sidebar - and all are working. So I'm not sure where you're looking, but it can't be on our corporate website ... it's a mystery! You can find me on Twitter @shellykramer and on LinkedIn at /in/shellydemottekramer. Sorry for your troubles - wish I could solve them, but I really don't know where you're looking for the info you seek!

Awesome, i was beginning to think I was the only one who thought this way. I'm glad to hear more of the online community speak about the importance of customer service in web design. Thank you.

by Graham Cox Wed May 16, 2012via blog

re the Flash point

It also play merry hell with Chrome.

by John Wed May 16, 2012via blog

Nice piece. I also don't like it when there are links that don't have the information they advertise. Like someone with the word BIO next to their name and there is no biographical information, just a list of some previously written articles.

Yes, Jen, absolutely. Simply offer it via delivery via email in addition to RSS feed. See the box above where MProfs invites you to subscribe to their newsletter (or check my blog for how we've treated it). My point is that often ONLY an RSS feed option is offered in spite of the fact that many people don't prefer getting their content via RSS. Hope that helps!

Hi Shelly, thanks for this great post. Some of the tips written have been applied to my blog. But, after reading your tips number 7 and 1, wow I think I have some works to do to fix my blog. Thanks for opening my eyes. Warm regards.

by Alien Fri May 18, 2012via blog

I make it a rule NEVER to buy anything from or engage with (e.g. contact) a website that does not show a full street address for the advertiser. They could be anywhere - or nowhere - a scam...who knows. Yet I do find sites that expect me to bare my soul (or at least my personal particulars) to an anonymous web advertiser. No way - do they think I'm, crazy!

Also I refuse to engage with sites that require all my particulars, name address, etc ...and sometimes even credit card numbers before they will let you check some aspects of an online order, such as delivery charges. Once again the answer is a very firm 'Forget it'.

by Mark - Red Giant Design Fri May 18, 2012via blog

Great article, Shelly. These are all very important things to note when designing a website.

My pet peeve is when clients ask for background music on their websites! Several obscenities run through my mind when I think about some cheesy music playing when I'm trying to view something that might otherwise be interesting.

I recently started with a blog, and truly gratefully that i came across your article. It Helped me a lot in the editing process, Theme selection, Css and lots more. Thanks keep posting i like to read you!

by Dexter Tue May 22, 2012via blog

Great article. I reviewed my site to see where improvements can be made. Thanks!

by Paul Thu May 24, 2012via blog

It's funny. This article talks about websites that are "hard to read" and this website uses a shitty font.

by Pam Deyerle Fri May 25, 2012via blog

Oh, so wonderfully stated!! I am in the middle of writing a blog article on JUST my irritation with pop-ups (as running into two of them yesterday made me pull my last hair out), and then saw a link to this on FB.

The only thing on your list I know I'm guilty of on my website is not having a search feature. My links to different places are all over (huge on the home page and at the top and bottom of all other pages, and it's not a huge site, so I figured I didn't need it. But, I will be looking into it now, especially since I'm working on another page to add to my site. I do have a little thing on my "Resource" page that I think is flash (it's a small box that rotates through my blog titles and you can click on it to go to my blog).

I have probably heard every complaint you list here more than once. I recently bumped up the size of my website fonts, although I don't know if I can figure out how to do that on my blog.

Now, just so I'm clear on something, when you said "...And when your contact form leads us to default email programs," do you mean when you click on an e-mail address on a site and it pulls up your default e-mail (like Outlook is for me), or are you talking about something related to a contact form?

Some sites use a specific mail program ... for instance Mac mail or something like that - that's built into the site. I wish I could be more specific, but I don't know how to do it, much less why someone would. So, when you click to fill out a contact form, it takes you to THAT program (which might well be on your computer, but an application you never use), but it opens it for you. Which drives me crazy. Does that make sense?

I really hate popups too, but when you're writing your post, be sure and research the data that exists on conversion rates - it's really pretty amazing. Doesn't make me hate them less, but it's a convincing argument to put them on there. Maybe. Sorta.

by Franz Tue May 29, 2012via blog

Awesome article, and I for one love the tone. Furthermore, this post was very timely for me as I'm currently in the process of having someone create a website for a new small business venture. So it's great to get some ideas of what NOT to do before I get too far into the development. One other note about Flash and its growing obsolescence is the fact that it's totally incompatible with the iPad and iPhone. Obviously, designers have gotten around this with HTML5, but you get my point. Stay snarky :)

I'm so glad to know I'm not alone in my curmudgeonliness when it comes to this kind of thing!!!

Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your thoughts - we love it!

by Newbie Wed Aug 15, 2012via blog

Excellent article and great tips... but what the heck is a walking ad?

by Lou LaPointe Wed Aug 15, 2012via blog

Shelly,

Great article and very informative. I am guilty of only one of your pet peeves and that is in not having pricing on my website.

In my line of work, a DJ, too many times a DJ can be referenced by pricing alone. If I put my pricing on the website, without having a conversation with a bride, I would be out of the mix right away. When I speak to a prospective bride, I educate her on the fact that a DJ does more than just play music for a wedding. As a DJ for a wedding reception, we should be helping in create memories and special moments that will last a lifetime. We should also be coordinating with other vendors to make the day as least-stressful as possible.

As a wedding day is extremely important, it is just as important to have that connection prior to pricing so they get the full vision of what they are paying for as opposed to just price.

And even though I'm a DJ, I REFUSE to have music playing on my site! ;-)

Totally see your point, Leo. And in many cases having pricing is not a good idea. Thank you, from everyone, for resisting the urge to have music on your site :)

by Linda Bradshaw Sun Sep 2, 2012via blog

Being a new blogger, I don't even know if I CAN give an email option in addition to the RSS feed! I use Wordpress for the platform; I guess now I have to go take another look around the settings and tools. So much to learn!

You absolutely can include an email delivery option for your readers - and in my opinion, it's infinitely more important than providing an RSS feed option (so many people don't even have any idea what that is)! It's not hard to do and should actually be an option on many templates.

Thanks for coming by - and hang in there. It gets easier!

by Regina Sat Sep 15, 2012via blog

You definitely hit all the things that drive me from sites. Music is my biggest pet peeve. And if they have it, I don't care how cool it is, I don't stay on to see it.

Thanks for the detailed instructions but I have a couple of questions remaining.

by Michael Fri Jan 25, 2013via blog

I have read, and agree to all but one of the above, the one about music. I do have a video that plays when you open my index, but it's short and appealing. Thank you though, I did not realize some of these and have taken them into consideration.

by PeterWooster Sat Mar 16, 2013via blog

I agree with all your points. I almost left this site when I entered because a modal dialog to join MarketingProfs came up in front of the site. These are as annoying as old fashioned pop-ups.

Music and video that play on load and flash based splash pages are at the top of my annoyance list. I find the current parallax trend cool, but I'm sure it will get used by advertisers and join the annoying features list soon.

On the mobile front my pet peeve is sites that assume my iPad is a mobile device and give me a dumbed down mobile site instead of the full web site. I prefer responsive sites to mobile sites as I'm sometimes using a small window on my desktop and I really want to see all the content.

One other thing is captcha codes. The one here isn't too bad, but some are next to impossible for anything other than a captha busting robot to read.

by PeterWooster Sat Mar 16, 2013via blog

One item I forgot to mention in my previous post. Ads buried in the content (Smashing Magazine are you listening) especially if it's an ad for Wix, which never identifies what it is. I just click these and then exit to cost the site owner a few cents for their inconsiderate design.

You made me smile this morning, Peter. And I, too, hate Captcha codes - especially ones that are tricky. I much prefer something like "what's 1-1" or something that quickly shows you're human. And to your next point, the ads buried in content - annoy me tremendously, too. And today, I think that's a pretty dangerous thing to do, with latest Google algorithms and their desire for contextually relevant content and links. People who are dumb enough to keep including those spammy links will ultimately get what they deserve.

Thanks for coming by - and Good Morning to you!

by Glen Tue May 7, 2013via blog

Great article.I didn't read all the above comments so this may have been mentioned...Upon arrival at this site I was immediately prompted with "sign up for our info" or something like that...I had just got here... This website wants marriage and we haven't even kisses yet.I hate the instant survey or sign up popup

Actually, I think that's new. And I hate popups, too. However, the reality is that they are amazingly effective at conversions -- getting people to do something. And so marketers (and websites) have to balance the general hatred of them against their effectiveness. I feel your pain. I also know how smart it is to use popups. Thanks for coming by ... in spite of it all:)))

-A popup IMMEDIATELY when you load the page, with the X not in the conventional place (I see this, I immediately close the tab)-A shitty google translate add-on which is useless (seriously, I haven't seen a website use it since at least 2007)-A "Next up in ..." side pop-up which jumps as soon as you've finished reading (you're talking about walking ads, yet this is almost as annoying as them)-Typing Like Jaden Smith In The Title With Caps At The Beginning Of Each Word

Subscribe Today

IT'S FREE! Become a member to get the tools and knowledge you need to market smarter.